Laboratory

There are several screening clinics at the Wayne County Health Department. They are available at specific times during the month on a walk-in basis. Many diseases can affect your health without symptoms appearing, so it is important to be tested.

Lead Poisoning
Lead poisoning effects can range from learning and behavioral problems to slow growth and development in the child.

Sickle Cell Screening
Sickle Cell screening is available to all ages. Sickle Cell Disease or Trait can occur in people of various ancestries (including areas around the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas) but it is more prevalent in people of African descent. Sickle Cell trait is found in 1 out of 10 Black American babies. If you are old enough to be a parent of a child it is important to be tested for Sickle Cell trait.

The following table lists the times for the screening clinics. These services are offered at no cost or nominal fees:

Screening Clinics Times

Services

Walk-In Times

Initial Lead Screening (1-5 years old)

Monday 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8-10 a.m.

Sickle Cell Screening

Being “Too Sweet” Can Be Dangerous
If you are 45 years or older or younger than 45 years, overweight and answer yes to any of the following questions, it’s time to have your blood glucose “sugar” tested.

Have you had diabetes during pregnancy or had a baby weighing more than 9 pounds?

Do you exercise fewer than 3 times per week?

If so, you could be at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes
In Type 2 diabetes, the body cannot produce enough insulin to respond to the food you eat. Insulin is the hormone made in the pancreas that helps convert glucose to energy. If your blood glucose remains high over the years it can lead to kidney disease, blindness, and lower-limb amputation. There are almost 21 million people in the United States alone with diabetes. About one third of these people do not even know they have diabetes. There are over 176,000 people less than 20 years old with diabetes.

Blood Glucose Test
The first test used to diagnose diabetes is a blood glucose test. This test can be run anytime, but to get the best result, the person goes without food or drink for at least 8 hours before having the test run. If the fasting glucose level is 126mg/dL or above and confirmed with a repeat test another day that means you have diabetes. If diagnosed, the next step is having an A1C test run twice a year.

A1C Test
The A1C measures the amount of glucose attached to the hemoglobin molecule in your red blood cells. Since the red blood cells live for several months, you can tell how well your glucose level has been controlled for the previous three months. You do not have to go without food or drink before this test is run. In general, just lowering your A1C level by 1% reduces the risk of developing eye, kidney and nerve diseases by 40%.